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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25618813">It's just a crush, right?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ereana/pseuds/Ereana'>Ereana</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Beach-fic, Crushes, Fluff, Hinata has all of the feelings for one Miya Atsumu, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining Hinata Shouyou</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 08:42:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,023</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25618813</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ereana/pseuds/Ereana</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A trip to the beach with the rest of the Black Jackals should be fun right?</p><p>Watching Atsumu try, and fail, to conquer the sand Hinata has to disagree. This is the worst idea he's ever had.</p><p>AKA Hinata pines for Atsumu the fic</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>354</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>It's just a crush, right?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Ok so I don't really know what possessed me when I wrote this but I started and the words wouldn't stop and here it is. I hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Life wasn’t fair.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This was a conclusion Hinata had come to rather early in life. It wasn’t fair that the sport he loved with his entire being favoured taller players. It wasn’t fair that the one person he wanted to beat most in high school was actually on his team. It wasn’t fair that Natsu always </span>
  <em>
    <span>always </span>
  </em>
  <span>managed to get the last bite of cake no matter how much he practiced his fork wielding. Honestly, the glint in her eye whenever they were sharing dessert - terrifying and he’d been afraid of losing a finger more than once.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And wouldn’t that be a story to tell coach Foster. “Oh why can I only spike with my left hand now coach? Well I was spending the afternoon with my sister in a cafe when I tried to get the last piece of chocolate cake and then she stabbed me in the hand with her knife and long story short I now only have 3 fingers on that hand Ha Ha but don’t worry I’m sure it won’t effect my receives at all.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yeah he’s sure that would go down well with both coach and Meian-san. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anyway the point was life wasn’t fair. And Hinata accepted that. Had been forced to accept that. Had accepted it and fought anyway. So what if life wasn’t fair? He’d level the playing field with his bare hands if he had to. He’d carved out a place for himself again and again. He'd gone to Brazil and poured sweat and tears into the sand in rebellion of that undeniable truth and he’d returned triumphant, ready to stand on the court against the king himself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So really he should be considered an expert in facing down things that weren’t fair but this fresh hell he found himself in was on an entirely different level.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This was going on his tombstone wasn’t it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Here lies Hinata Shoyou. Died 7th July 2019, Age 23.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Cause of Death: Watching Miya Atsumu attempt to play beach volleyball</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The laughter in the afterlife wasn’t ever going to stop was it?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But...But this wasn’t fair at all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He took another long swallow of water as he watched Bokuto laugh and pat Atsumu on the back as he failed to dig another spike from Adriah. The setter’s usual sharp and precise movements sucked away by the beach and wind. He looked a little embarrassed but mainly determined, turning to glare at the beaming middle blocker he pointed across the net and Hinata didn’t even need to be close to know that he was vowing vengeance.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Despite expending tremendous willpower Hinata couldn’t drag his eyes away from his teammate. Some magnetic, incredibly unfair, force kept pulling them back again and again. At least at practice he had an excuse. Atsumu was his-</span>
  <em>
    <span>the team’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>main setter so he had to watch him right. Had to keep an eye on his condition and make sure he was ok and-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And alright so maybe that time Hinata had gone round and helped nurse him back to health after he’d caught the flu and cleaned his apartment and let Osamu know that his idiot brother was still alive and hadn’t over-practiced himself to death or anything like that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And sure maybe now he and Atsumu helped each other stretch during practice all the time but they were a team right and everyone knows you had to have a good relationship with your setter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And so what if sometimes (once every week) after practice when it was just the two of them left they’d end up wandering over to a nice little diner close to the gym and get dinner together? That was a totally friendly thing to do and Hinata liked to treat Atsumu because he worked so hard and was so dedicated to their team and-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This would be so much easier if it was just a physical thing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The water he swallowed did nothing to alleviate the dryness of his throat as he watched Atsumu pull Bokuto to the side and whisper in hushed voices, occasionally broken by some rather pointing at a smirking Adriah and Sakusa.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maybe Atsumu felt his gaze or maybe it was just luck but he looked up from the huddle with Bokuto and met Hinata’s stare straight on. He blinked, surprise clear on his face, before smiling and waving cheerily across - as though HInata hadn’t been watching him like some creepy stalker.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How d’ya think we’re doin’ Mr beach volleyball master? Are we gettin’ any better or what?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hinata beamed and waved back. “You guys are doing so much better than this morning, I’m seeing some serious improvement!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“From some more than others.” Sakusa said and Hinata could feel Atsumu bristle.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah well just you watch Omi-kun. Bok-kun and I are going to destroy you this time.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Riiiiight, just like you did the last three matches?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hinata laughed at the exchange and turned to face the sea, keeping one ear on the conversation and the other just taking in the familiar sounds of the beach. The sun wasn’t as hot as in Rio but the heat on his skin was nice and the feel of sand slipping between his toes was the same no matter what country he was in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Meian had suggested activities for team bonding during the off season beach volleyball had been the first words out of Hinata’s mouth. There had been some teasing about how it was meant to be a non-volleyball activity but the guys had seem interested especially after Bokuto had, with the same skill as a big brother about to unknowingly embarrass their younger sibling, proudly shown off some of the ‘Ninja Shouyou’ videos he’d saved on his phone which a) Hinata didn’t know Bokuto had, b) was a little shocked to see how popular some of those videos were, c) had flushed and laughed at all the praise from his teammates as they watched him dart about the sand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He’d just about returned to his normal skin colour when Atsumu had thrown his arm around him and leaned in closer to take a look at Bokuto’s phone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ba-thump.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uwah! So that’s what ya were doin’ when ya went to Brazil then?” Hinata had turned his head to meet Atsumu’s eyes and had nearly expired on the spot at the open admiration, wonder and fondness he could see on his friend’s face. “Must have been weird with just two of ya on a team.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A-Ah, well I got used to it you know.” He tried to force his best I’m-totally-not-crushing-on-my-close-friend-and-partner smile and and desperately tried to ignore the warmth of Atsumu’s arm slung across his shoulders or the knowledge that if he leaned back just a bit he’d be pressed up against that oh-so-very-impressive chest. With a strength of will he hadn’t known he’d possessed Hinata forced his eyes back to Bokuto’s phone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The video had been a good one. It was one of his and Heitor’s earlier matches but after they’d been working together for a bit and had gotten used to each other’s play style. The opposing team had gone to spike the ball when suddenly Hinata was there sending a perfect receive over to Heitor’s waiting hands.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They’d won that game and it had been around the time when Hinata had figured out how to play with the sand and wind. When Brazil and Rio had started to feel like real places and not some mad fever dream of music, smells and colours that stayed with him even when he tried to sleep at night.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Took a lot of time to get that good, playing beach is nothing like playing on a court.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Atsumu smiled and ruffled his hair. “And for some reason ya decided to master both, no wonder so many people get scared of ya Shouyou-kun.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hinata blushed and looked anywhere but at the man whose arm was still slung comfortably around his shoulder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Like it belonged there.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He needed a new brain, his current one was clearly in need of some repair.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anyway! After Bokuto’s little video presentation the team had been up to give beach volleyball a try, jokingly asking for ‘Hinata-sensei to teach them his ways’, and so here they were.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Here he was - watching his friends struggle and laugh and swear as they fought with the sand and wind and sea just as he had when he’d first stepped onto a beach in Rio.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Here he was watching the guy he had a stupidly, enormous, all consuming crush on pick himself up again and again determined to take on the new challenge before him. Taking it on the same way he did everything else with passion and drive and earnest belief, eyes shining with each toss he managed to set properly, smile growing with every receive he managed to make even the shaky ones.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hinata knew, he knew, that he had to confront this sooner or later. It was getting ridiculous; he sat next to Atsumu on every bus ride, he went with him to eat at his brother’s restaurant and listen to the sniping that only revealed how dear they were to each other, he let Atsumu touch him so freely and felt so guilty for enjoying what he knew was just a friendly touch and wishing, oh so fiercely wishing, that it meant more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He’d let it go on for too long to pull away now without raising suspicions</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And Atsumu liked him. He called Hinata his favourite spiker and those moments during practices and matches when they synced felt electric like they could read each other’s minds. They were more than just teammates they were friends and Atsumu was so good and hard-working and hungered for volleyball the same way Hinata did.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hinata could always ask for one more and Atsumu would be there to meet him. They felt like true partners, equals.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The only other setter he’d played with who came close to this kind of connection with was Kageyama but there had always been an imbalance there. That knowledge, that he was only on the court because of the genius setter who could make use of him, had never truly gone away in high school. It had lessened with each year but it never really went away. With Kageyama he felt like he was always racing to catch up, always a few steps behind his amazing rival (friend) but with Atsumu…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With Atsumu it felt like he was running beside someone not staring at their back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first time they nailed their quick, faster and stronger than what either of them had been able to do as teenagers, was when he knew.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The ball was sent to Atsumu.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hinata started his run.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A split second when their eyes met across the court.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Here?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Toss it to me.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Now?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You’ll send me the ball right?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Always.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He jumped. The solid floor of the court offering him all the lift he could need. Fly higher, higher, reach the top of the summit and see what’s on the other side.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The ball was there just like he’d known it would be.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His arm curved forward in a familiar practiced motion.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>WHAM!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A breathless moment that seemed to stretch for eternity as they stared at the ball rolling away on the other side of the net. Time froze and Hinata felt certainties break and shatter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He’d gone to Brazil to prepare himself to play for the best setters in the world. Feeling the warm stinging on his palm and the tingling in his fingers he knew that he’d accomplished that goal.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The moment broke and a wide grin, so wide that it hurt his cheeks, spread across his face and he turned to run at Atsumu. Atsumu who looked as stunned as he did; arms still up in the position that he made that (wonderful, incredible, </span>
  <em>
    <span>perfect</span>
  </em>
  <span>) toss with.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That was amazing Atsumu-san!” He’d babbled, chest filling up with a sudden warmth as the true enormity of what they’d done sunk in. “I just jumped and then BWAH the ball was there, and it was so fast, and felt so good to spike and-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Atsumu had unfrozen then and grinned back, thrilled and eager and</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And beautiful</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Began to speak back practically vibrating with excitement.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We did it Shouyou-kun!” And Hinata’s words had trailed off as Atsumu grabbed his shoulders. “That was perfect, you were perfect and I got the right height and everything, did ya really have to ask for it right then? I need a sec to prepare for something like that ya know?” The words could have sounded annoyed but they didn’t. The rest of their teammates awed mumbles and whoops faded into background noise as Hinata stared up at his friend.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At the one who let him fly freely.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hinata had looked up into Atsumu’s face, alight with happiness and triumph, and thought:</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You sent it to me.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You did </span>
  </em>
  <span>the </span>
  <em>
    <span>quick. The one everyone said was only possible for me with Kageyama, but that was never going to stop you was it.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You helped me fly higher and faster than ever.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Unbidden a memory flashed through his head. To a time when he’d worn orange instead of black and gold. To a moment when an opponent setter (and oh wasn’t that such a great game and he got to play for so long and why was this guy staring at him like that) looked at him and deemed him worthy of a promise that a young Hinata had never forgotten.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One day I’m gonna set for you.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Words that Hinata had turned to for comfort in times of doubt because if an all-star setter like Miya Atsumu wanted to toss to him then that had to mean something right?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And here they were.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Promise fulfilled and so so much better than Hinata had ever imagined it to be.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Thank you for promising that to me back then.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Did you see this moment or were you just bluffing? Did you hope for this?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Did that feel as good to you as it did for me?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I want to kiss you.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That last damning thought was to blame for all of this. There was no way to unthink it and he’d tried so hard to forget it but it stuck in his mind like one of his mom’s lullabies.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Worse as time went on other thoughts joined it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I want to hold your hand.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I want to cuddle with you.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I want to go home with you.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I want to be by your side.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Would you let me?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hinata was not a stranger to having crushes, he’d had them in middle school and high school, he knew what they felt like. They usually left him feeling flustered around the person for a few weeks or months and he’d be a bit jumpy, a bit louder, blush just that slightly more often and then the feeling would pass. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This was not a crush.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This felt so much </span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It felt heavy. It felt hot. It made him want to leave his mark all over Atsumu’s stupidly gorgeous body and go </span>
  <em>
    <span>this one is mine and I am his. </span>
  </em>
  <span>It made him lie awake at night and stare at the ceiling fretting over whether or not Atsumu had caught on to all the little knowing looks and smug smiles the rest of the Black Jackals would shoot at the pair of them. It made him want to scream and dance and laugh and cry and-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It made him hungry.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>More. More. More. He wanted more of Atsumu’s smiles, his praise, his jokes (which were actually pretty funny despite what Sakusa said), more of his fond gazes and friendly touches and those moments when Hinata could fool himself into thinking that maybe just maybe Atsumu liked him as more of a friend to.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That moment after they’d won the third set against the Schweiden Adlers, against Kageyama, he’d felt on top of the world. Tired and exhilarated and finally on the same stage as his forever rival. He’d turned to face his team only to be swept into a fierce hug by Atsumu. Hinata had eagerly returned it and looked up laughing, so happy and drunk with victory, their eyes meeting under the harsh glare of the stadium lights. They’d done it together. He can’t remember what he said only that Atsumu’s eyes had burned bright and then...for a fraction of a second...dipped down to look at Hinata’s mouth. Then Inunaki had clapped them both on the back and they’d been swept up in cheers and the post-victory celebrations.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hinata thought about that moment. A lot more than he should have. He daydreamed about being brave enough to close that small distance between them and finally kiss the infuriating wonderful man in front of him. Of having that kiss returned and feeling fingers cup his check and run through his hair and he clung to Atsumu’s front and-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No. No so not the time for this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time to take a dip in the sea. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It sounded like the rest of them were arguing over who would get to play next - Hinata had been banned for the next few games as he was deemed an unfair advantage for whoever had him on their side and would be able to rejoin towards the end after they were all a little more experienced.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Rather than sit through another game of fondly watching Atsumu struggle from the sidelines he would go and swim. At the very least he wouldn’t be able to stare without the risk of drowning and hopefully the crush hadn’t progressed so far that admiring Atsumu superseded his instinct to survive.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He got up from the towel, tugged his shirt over his head, and started to jog towards the sea. Yes a swim would be nice, refreshing, just what he needed right now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey Shouyou-kun wait up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked back and sure enough Atsumu was chasing after him, smiling and looking unfairly handsome in his own edge-of-fashion look of swim shorts and a T-shirt proudly bearing the logo of Onigiri Miya on it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It would look weird if he ran now right?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey Atsumu-san! Something wrong?” Atsumu caught up to him and smiled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Na, just thought I’d let Meian-san have a go.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How generous of you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know right.” He looked so pleased with himself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Totally not because you were having issues with the sand or anything.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“W-What no! Of course not Shouyou-kun, I’m just bein’ a good teammate is all.” Bad move because Atsumu a little embarrassed about being called out and his ears turning red while he tried to avoid Hinata’s eyes was unfairly adorable. “Anyway, was just wonderin’ where you were running off to? Thought this whole beach volleyball thing was yer idea.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I just wanted to go for a swim. It’s getting hotter and I thought it’s be nice. Besides, I've been banned from playing remember?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bah, don’t know why.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think it was because you and I kept winning every game and they realised it wasn’t completely due to your skill as a setter.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well ok maybe a little was down to you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A little?” Hinata said a little incredulously. He put his hand over his heart and deigned a descent gasp. “You wound me sir.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Atsumu laughed, a quiet amused huff. “So maybe it was more than a little Mr Ninja Shouyou.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Damn him. Damn him for looking at Hinata like that. Fondness softened his face and amusement lingered in the curl of his mouth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I wonder what it would taste like.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I suppose that will do.” Hinata said loftily, taking a step back and clenching his hands behind his back - maybe that would stop the unbearable need to reach out and touch. “So I’ll be back in a bit ok. I was promised a place on the last few matches.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Actually I was thinkin’ of joining ya if that’s ok/”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No. No. No. No. No.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Abort mission.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hit the red button.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure.” Betrayed by his own mouth. Atsumu brightened and stuck a thumb back towards their make shift beach camp.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Great! I’ll just go take this off.” He tugged at his shirt and thankfully looked back towards the others so completely missed Hinata softly mouthing ‘fuck’. “And let the others know where we’re going.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sounds great!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Atsumu turned and jogged back to the rest of the group utterly oblivious to the turmoil he’d let loose in Hinata’s mind. About a third of it was screaming, a quarter was praying for strength, a half was gleefully belting out hallelujah and three fifths was preoccupied with writing his will.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Whether that made up one or not he couldn’t really say but his lack of mathematical ability was not the main issue here.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No the main issue was a sweaty and very shirtless Miya Atsumu returning to him in order to go for a swim in the ocean.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He could do this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He’d survived serving into the back of Kageyama’s face and receiving one of Ushijima’s spikes with his own.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was strong.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was Hinata Shouyou.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ready to go?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was utterly fucked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Y-Yeah.” Don’t look at his chest. Don’t look at his arms. Don’t be a creep.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You ok Shouyou-kun? Ya look a little red.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh do I!” He said. Too loud, way too loud and yep people were looking at them. “I mean the sun is out and you-IT is very hot, so very hot uh-huh which is why I wanted to swim right? I mean swimming is great. You can just dunk your head underwater and not have to come back up! Such good fun.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shouyou-kun I think yer talking about drowning.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well that can be fun in some cases too!” Had he always sounded so shrill. How did normal people talk again. God Atsumu looked beautiful like this on the beach, under the sun, in any situation really.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d rather ya don’t do that.” He even looked good concerned. This wasn’t fair. How was he supposed to fight against this?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“O-Oh why not?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Atsumu smiled and bent his head down a few inches.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He even liked the height difference between them. He liked how tall and big Atsumu was and considering his track record on taller men looking down on him this more than anything else showed how fucked he truly was.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If ya drowned you wouldn’t be able to hit my tosses anymore. And how could I carry on without my favourite spiker.” Oh god he was smirking. Then he wasn’t. “Seriously though are ya ok?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hinata was not ok.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hinata was currently bright red, staring up at Atsumu with wide eyes and a gaping mouth like an idiot.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It would be so much easier if it was just physical.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But this genuine concern, the fondness, the friendship, the little moments of laughter and joy that melded together to make their partnership, the inside jokes, the bus rides, the dinners, the kindness and dedication. All of that was what made everything so much harder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I-I’m fine Atsumu-san.” He forced his best grin. “Just a little joke from Brazil is all. I wouldn’t want to leave my favourite setter behind after all.” The grin turned less forced with the truth because Atsumu was his favourite setter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>His favourite person.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And maybe some of that thought shone through because now Atsumu was the one who was blushing. Hinata greedily took in the pink hue spreading from his cheeks, up his face, all the ways to the tips of his ears.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A-A-Ah w-well that’s good to hear.” Atsumu looked away from him, still blushing and voice a little shaky.” H-Hey I think yer right. It is really hot, we should go for that swim now right?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Life wasn’t fair.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s go Atsumu-san!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But walking towards the ocean by his lo-friend’s side with the sand underneath his feet, the promise of practice tomorrow, and the shy little side glances Atsumu was sending him, Hinata thought that life could be pretty great as well sometimes. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hope you all enjoyed this fic which kind of hit me out of nowhere today and I really need to go to sleep. Anyway, as much as I love pining Atsumu I wanted to try a pining Hinata instead, hopefully it was as much fun to read as it was to write. Thank you in advance for any kudos or comments your support means a lot to me =)</p><p>Might do a sequel, might not. Still not sure exactly where it came from.</p><p>Anyone wants to say hi to me feel free to check out <a href="https://twitter.com/Jen_B93">my twitter</a>.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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